Clinton News-Record, 1986-04-16, Page 33Good lawn care
starts in the spring
Don't forget to rake.
This is considered one of the most iiiipor-
• tint steps in revitalizing a lawn says Tom
Grasby of The Weed Man in Goderieh,
"The grass debris accumulated through
the winter should be raked off. The, debris
contains chemicals that could. inhibit the
growth of new seeds. These are natural
Chemicals formed by decaying plant life.
Grass seed wiU germinate, but the residual
chemicals will attack the root and there will .
lir not be a high yield. Raking gets rid of the
debris and allows the seed to have contact
with the soil." Granby, said, adding that
manufactured chemicals are usually
targeted at specific insects .or weeds and.ac-
tually have a short residual time in the soil.
Area lawns are lagging behind the rest of
the country right now because of cool spring
conditions. Grasby recently met with other
Weed Man Dealers at a National Seminar
from as far afield as Nova Scotia, British
Columbia and the Prairies and "they are
much further ahead. here, seeding has been
slower. A low soil temperature does not
allow for quick germination. All we need is a
week of warm weather,, and things wil real-
ly begin to pop," Grasby-said.
When people inspect :their lawns for
winter injury, that is, Weds or disease,
they will notice bare patches.' and think re-
seeding is all that. is necessary to fill, in the
patches.
In fact, these isolated patches then don't
get the attention they need. It would be bet-
ter to put your lawn on a regular fertilizing
and weed control program. Doing this will
encourage -the grass around these areas to
reproduce new roots and tillers and fill in
the bare patches. In most cases the areas
will fill in on their own. If the areas are
larger than 6" to Win er eter dig off
about one centimetre and resod the patch.,
The sod will lc*t guichly with the sod and
you will have instant grass instead of
waiting for the seeds to germinate and
grow, Grasby said.
When it COMPS to weed control, the secret
is to grow a good, thick, tight lawn, "A tight
lawn excludes light, and crabgrass needs
light to flourish," Grasby said. Another tip
is ngt to maw too short A three em turf is
OIC for a football field, but the ideal lawn for
a residence is (iie. cavi, This also means you
need only, Blow every seven to 10 days, and a
five cm lawn will have 60 per cent More root
growth.
Kentucky 'Bine Grass is the most suitable
for this area, and with a five ern mowed
length, it can achieve Op to 24 cin of root
growth, Kentucky Blue Grass is drought-
tolerant, it, s winter hardy. is disease and'in-
sect resistant and is easily managedd. Its on-
ly dra`wbaclfi is that itis not shade -tolerant:
Red Fescue on the other hand does not have
the quality of Kentucky Blue Grass, but it is
shade tolerant, Grasby Said-.
For spring fertllizingr a 444 ratio,
nitrogen,,phosphQrn Potassium is best,-
he said. Avoid overwaterltlg auld prinkling,
because this provides (t` 1 Uri+ t' seed bed for
weeds to germinate. Alsoavoid overfertiliz-
ing, which would also nourish weed growth.
The biggest weed' problem for lawns in
this area is bent grass, a finely -bladed weed
that grows in distinctive round, blush -green
patches for which no herbicide has been
found. Again the best way to prevent this
weed growing is management, Grasby said.
Most other broadleaf weeds can be selec-
tively removed by herbicides once they
'have emerged.
• E very lawn needs fertilizing
Question: Why do lawns need fertilizing?
Isn't watering and mowing enough?
Answer: Lawns need fertilizing the same
way you need food. A balanced diet keep
lawns healthy by providing the right
nutrients to grow strong and green.
Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are
key to your lawn's health. Nitrogen pro-
motes rapid growth and also helps keep
grass green. Phosphorus produces a strong
root system, and potassium increases
disease resistance and wearability. Most
fertilizers contain a healthy dose of all
three.
to Clean
Your.
Home
6 Reasons Why!'
1. Easier - no heavy lugging,
no cord to tangle.
2. Quicker. • 'you'll whisk
from room to room
3. Cleaner • More cleaning
power than ordinary vacs
4. Healthier - dirt collection
unit located away from living
area
5. Quieter - whisper -quiet
vacuuming
6. Cleans any surface
enough attachments supplied
to clean any surface
System starting
from$399 -
Hutchinson Appliances
308 Huron Rd-„.Goderich 524-7831
1.080"5 IS IN THE
SMALL ENGINES; BUSINESS!
*String Trbni$er*
•Lown. Mowor4
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sera: Blowy)*
H. LOBB & SONS LTQ.
482-3409
PAGE 7
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